


I Found You

by ShenanigansEnsue



Series: Shenanigans and Imagines [24]
Category: The Magnificent Seven (2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, Angst and Feels, F/M, Feels, M/M, Romantic Soulmates, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-29
Updated: 2017-11-29
Packaged: 2019-02-08 12:46:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,665
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12864810
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShenanigansEnsue/pseuds/ShenanigansEnsue
Summary: You’ve been searching for your soulmate your whole life, but this wasn’t how you expected to find him.





	I Found You

           A bolt of electricity, that’s how your mother always described it.  It starts with where ever they touch you and spreads all over your body, and when you look at them, it’s like the world starts over again.

           You always loved it whenever your mother told you about meeting your father for the first time.  She’d get a faraway look in her eye and any troubles of the day would melt away in an instant.  She always promised that someday you would experience the same thing.  You would meet your soulmate and your drab black and white world would burst with color.

          You tried to get her to described it to you, but to no avail.  She’d simply say you’d have to wait and see, but you were always an impatient child. You made a habit of brushing against people on the street. You’d spread your hands wide hoping somebody might bump into you and strike your body with lightning, but it never came.

           As you got older, you were told such behavior was immature.  You couldn’t force your hand.  You had to let the universe guide you.  

You always countered by saying the universe was guiding you to brush your hands with strangers.  Some people found it funny, but most adults thought you were just being a smart mouth. You weren’t deterred though. Your soulmate was out there somewhere, and nobody was going to tell you to just sit and wait.

           When you were eighteen, you got the sudden urge to move.  You didn’t know where it came from.  The four walls of your room felt confining.  The house you lived in too restrictive.  The city too crowded.  

          You had been reading about the west: the open spaces, the mountains, the never-ending valleys and the men and women who made it their home.  You thought about your soulmate and how they couldn’t possibly be from the city.  You could feel it in your bones.  You needed to get out there.  You couldn’t articulate why, but the need burned in your heart stronger than anything you had ever experience before.  You packed your things that night and bought a ticket the next morning.  

          You left a note for your mother, explaining everything.  You promised to write and told her you would be careful and that you hoped she would understand.  It would all work out, you promised.  Your soulmate was out there.  You knew it.

          Oh, how naïve you were then.

          You arrived in California with a single suitcase and barely a fist full of dollars to your name.  You had fantasized meeting your soulmate somewhere on the station platform.  You thought maybe it could be the coach driver or some handsome cowboy on the street, but the longer you stayed the more your faith wavered.

          You got a job at the local saloon, thinking it would be the best place to meet new people coming into town, but it never sat well with you.  Something about the place never felt right, until one morning you felt that same push telling you it was time to move on.  You saved up enough money for a horse and rode your way out of town.

          After a while, you stopped keeping track of how many towns you wandered into; how many bars you worked in, how many supply shops, how many farms, all in the same black and white. You weren’t even sure how long you had been out west, but you were no closer to finding your soulmate then you were when you were eight years old brushing up against strangers on the street.  

          There were times you wondered if you should cut your losses and go back home, but you always found a reason to stay. You had made life for yourself out west, an odd life, but still a life that was unapologetically yours.  You didn’t belong to anyone or anything.  The only thing that truly controlled you was the white-hot need in your chest that overruled any doubt that crept into your mind.

          Your travels eventually took you to a small town in the hills not far out of San Francisco.  You had been there a few months, the longest you had stayed anywhere since you first arrived out west.  The people in the town recognized you my name.  Even the store keeper you had been working for trusted you to lock up on certain nights after closing.

          You tried to fight the twisting feeling of anticipation in your stomach. Staying didn’t mean anything.  It just meant you hadn’t felt the need to move in a while.  It had nothing to do with your soulmate, or so you kept telling yourself. Still, it didn’t stop you from lying awake at night, starring at the ceiling wondering where they were at that moment, and if they were thinking of you too.

          You went about your day as usual in the shop, filling out orders and straightening things up.  Soon enough the last of the customer’s left as the sun was going down leaving you alone to close everything up.

          You were straightening up the front displays when you heard the sound of horse hooves coming down the street. You looked out and saw some of the sheriff and his deputies going through the streets.  Some staying behind to check the alleys while a few more rode on past the shop.  

          Your heart started to beat a little faster in your chest. You went to the front door, locking it and closing the curtains.  Whatever trouble was outside, you defiantly didn’t want it coming in. You finished up the last of the sweeping in the front room and looked around going through a mental check list of everything you had to do.  It was then your stomach dropped out from under you.

          The back room.  You had a supply come in earlier that day.  You forgot to lock the back door.

          You immediately ran to the back, opening the door wide. The only light available came from the lanterns in the front room, but it was just enough for you to see the backdoor.  

          You breathed a small sigh of relief to see it was still closed.

          You crossed the space in a second, locking the door with a hard click. The moment you did, your body relaxed.  You were sure the owner wouldn’t mind if you stayed the night since the sheriff was scouring the streets.

          You turned back towards the front when a small movement caught your eye. You looked back, you heart stopping.

          In the darkness, you could just make out the silhouette of a large man towering in the corner.

          You froze. Your throat tightened so you couldn’t even scream. All you could do was stand wide eyed and completely unarmed.

          To you surprise, the man raised his hands, and cautiously stepped into the light.

          “I’m not going to hurt you,” he said softly.

          To your own surprise, you didn’t move. A strange curiosity took over, silencing your instincts to run. You could make out the outline of a strong jaw, lightly covered in a three day scruff, and well as the reflection of clear dark eyes. His voice was low and calm, and carried a distinct Mexican accent.  

          Despite circumstances, his entire being put you oddly at ease. His features were just as calm as his voice, but you could tell he was examining you in the same way you were examining him.  You looked further down taking in the rest of him.  You were starting to appreciate just how tall he actually was when two glints of metal caught your attention.

          You felt your heart beat pick up again, finally noticing the two guns hanging off his belt.

          Without a second thought you bolted.

          You only got a few paces when you felt the man grab your arm pulling you back.

          You tried to yank out of his grip, but he held and you tight and pushed your back against the shelving along the wall.  

          “Get off me!” you shouted, struggling against him.

          “Quiet,” he snapped.

          His hands gripped your arms to your sides as he used his whole body to keep you trapped.  You fought back anyway, trying to kick and wriggle your way out.

          “Let me go!  Let me go you son of a bitch!”

          “Silencio!  I’m not going to hurt you.”

          You kept on anyway, as you tried to twist your arms out of his grip.

          “Listen to me,” he said. “Look at me.”

          He gave your shoulders a quick shake forcing you to look at him.

          You were taken aback by the sight.  In your struggles, you hadn’t noticed just how close he was to you. His face hovering just a few inches from yours. There was something in his face.  He wasn’t threatening you.  His eyes were more desperate than that.

          “I’m not going to hurt you,” he said, his voice going calm once again.  “But I need you to be quiet.”

          You opened your mouth to say something smart when a knock came at the door.

          Before you could even decide if you were going to call for help, the man pressed his hand over your mouth.

          The moment his hand touched your skin, you felt it. The bolt of electricity starting from his fingers and moving all the way across your face and down your spine until you felt it throughout your whole body.  

           Your initial instinct was to pull away, but he kept his hand where it was. You stared at each other, his face looking just as shocked as you felt.  It was then you saw it.  

          The black of his eyes dissolved away revealing a mesmerizing shade of dark brown. You remained transfixed of them, even as the color continued across his face and down his body.  You hardly noticed the tone of the room shift from harsh white light to soft golden yellows.

          You couldn’t look away.  You hadn’t realized how much the slightest shift in color could make such a difference in how one saw a person.  His eyes weren’t dark and intimidating, they were soulful, unwavering, and quite simply, the most beautiful things you had ever seen in your life.

          He couldn’t seem to look away from you either.  His whole body was stiff with shock.  He stared at you in complete wonder.  He looked down towards you lips, and quickly jerked his hand away as if suddenly aware of what he was doing.

          You caught his hand, holding it in the small space between your faces.

          You needed him close.  You couldn’t say why, but you needed to touch him.  You needed to make sure he was real.

          Another knock came at the door, startling you both out of your thoughts.

          The man turned his head towards the door, as he free hand went for his gun.

          “No,” you said quietly, but firmly.

          He looked to you, surprise evident on his face.

          “Let me take care of it,” you said.

          He opened his mouth to protest when another knock came at the door.

          “Y/N,” a voice called.

          The man looked back to you, uncertainly.

          “Trust me,” you whispered.

          He stared at you for a moment, looking your face over.  Then, reluctantly, he nodded.

          You gave a small smile in appreciation, just as one more knock came to the door.

          “Y/N, you in there?” the voice asked.

          “Coming,” you shouted towards the door, before turning back to the man. “Stay here.”

          He gave a small nod as you slipped past him, closing the back door partially behind you.  You tried not the focus on the small burst of color from one of the piles of fabric, or the blue lettering of the prices thrown about the store.  

          Keeping your breathing steady, you unlocked the front door.

One of the sheriff deputies, George, stood in front of you looking rather nervous.

          “Sorry to bother you Y/N, just, I saw the lights were still on and I figured I’d just make sure you were alright.”

          You gave an easy smile, trying your best to look relaxed.

          “I was just cleaning up in back,” you said.  “Why something wrong?”

          “Outlaw came ridding into town,” George said.  “Apparently he killed a ranger back in Texas or something.  He was spotted in the saloon, but he split before we could get there.  Thought he might be hiding somewhere in town.”

          You felt your heart rate spike at the news.

          “Wouldn’t he had bolted?” you asked.

          “We were on him pretty fast,” George explained. “Don’t think he had time to get his horse.  This is just a formality, but have you seen anything?”

          The logical part of your brain told you this was exact moment to tell George the truth.

          Soulmate or not he killed a man.  You didn’t know him.  Hell, you didn’t even know his name. But the words caught in your throat.  

          Killer or not, he was your soulmate.  You couldn’t let him hang, not without talking to him, not without at least learning his name.  You had spent so long looking, you couldn’t lose him now.

          “No,” you said, “been quite all night.”

          George nodded his head.

          “Alright, well, do you need as escort home?”

          “No, I’m alright,” you said sweetly.  “Think I’ll just stay here the night until it all blows over.”

          George looked uncertain, but he nodded his head in understanding.

          “Well, if you say so,” he said.  “But you be needing anything, give me a holler.”

          “I will,” you promised.  “Good luck.”

          George smiled in thanks, and walked his way back to his horse and rode off into the night.  

          Just as he was out of sight, you closed the front door again, locking it behind you.  You let out a breath you hadn’t realized you had been holding.  Your fingers shook slightly around the door handle as you tried to get a grip on yourself.  

          It was then you heard the back-room door open behind you followed by a pair of heavy boot steps.

          “Are you alright,” the man asked.

          You straightened up, and turned look at him.

          He looked strangely vulnerable now you were able to see him fully, almost awkward. It was as if he didn’t know where to put his hands, as he shifted back and forth in his stance.  It was hard to imagine not a moment ago the same man put you in fear for your life.

          “Yes and no,” you said.  “Is it bad I don’t feel guilty about lying?”

          “I think the fact that you asked me that, says you’re a better person than most,” he said.

          A silence fell between you as a question held unsaid in the air.  You waited for him to say something, but it was clear he wasn’t going to say a word unless you asked.

          “He said you killed someone,” you said carefully. “Did you?”

          His jaw clench, but he didn’t look angry with you, rather a memory he would never be able to shake.

          “Yes.”

          “Can I ask why?”

          “He hurt my family,” he said simply. “I was trying to keep them safe. Didn’t do much good in the end.”

          You look him over carefully, looking for a lie, but you couldn’t find any. His emotions were to raw and real to be anything else.

          “Sounds like he had it coming then,” you said.

          He looked at you in surprise.  Hell, you surprised yourself, but you knew you meant it as soon as the words left your mouth.

          He looked over your face searching for something you couldn’t name. His whole body strained, divided between closing the space between you and staying where he stood.  

          You wanted desperately to know what he was thinking.

          His eyes moved away from you.  You felt the shift immediately as he took a step back.

          “I have to go.”

          “Wait!”

          He stopped before he could even turn away, as he looked at you with a strange look.

          You didn’t intend to sound as desperate as you did, but it couldn’t be helped.

          “Please,” you said softly. “I’ve been looking for you for so long.  Please, I just want to talk to you.  At least give me your name.”

          For a brief moment, you thought he wouldn’t tell you, that he would go off into the night and you would never see him again, but he stayed.

          “Vasquez,” he said.

          You felt a small smile spread across your face at the sound of it.

          “You got a first name to go with that?” you asked.

          “Not one I usually give,” he said.  

          You could tell he meant the words to come out harsher than they did, but he tone was too defeated to have it any real bite.

          His head began to shake as his eyes drifted from your face and down to the floor.

          “I wasn’t expecting to find you,” he confessed.

          You felt yourself freeze.  The words sunk through your skin and into your heart.  Your throat grew tight with emotion as your mind tried to catch up with your feelings.

          “You mean you didn’t want to find me,” you said.

          Saying out loud hurt more than you expected, but the look on his face made it even worse.

          “Not in the way you’re thinking.”

          “And what am I thinking?”

          His expression grew soft as he looked at you.

          “You’re more than I could have hoped for,” he said. “But I can’t be responsible for someone else, especially not you.”

          Your mind finally settled on anger as you straightened your stance.

          “I can look after myself.”

          “That’s not the point.”

          “Then what?” you snapped. “You’re my soulmate.  Life or death, right or wrong, it doesn’t matter, that is a fact. Do you really expect for me to just forget you?”

          “You have to,” he retorted.  “You’ve gone this long without me.  You don’t need me for the rest.”

          You didn’t want to believe your ears.  You shook your head as if that would somehow knock the words out of your mind.

          “But I found you,” you said, sounding as lost as you felt.

          Vasquez didn’t say anything, but he didn’t walk away either.  The conflict still raged on in his features, but his body wasn’t as ridged as before.

          Taking a chance, you took a small step towards him.  

          He didn’t move.  

          You took another, and then another and another until there was only a foot between you.

          He couldn’t meet your eyes.  

          Cautiously, you reached out and gently took his hand in yours.  

          You felt the same electricity again, subtler this time, but still there. You didn’t feel the need to jerk away and to your surprise, neither did Vasquez.

          His grip tightened around yours as he ran his thumb across your skin. It felt nice, natural, as if you had been doing it your whole lives.

          “I know it will be hard,” you said quietly. “But can’t we just try?”

          The silence persisted.  You glanced up surprised to see his eyes staring down at you.

          He took a small step towards you as his hand reached out, cupping your cheek as if you were made of glass.  

          You closed your eyes as you leaned into his touch.  You were home. You felt the need evaporate from your chest.  You wouldn’t have to wander anymore.  You found him.

          You opened your eyes meeting his once more.  

          There was hardly any space between you.  You could feel his warm from his body and breath play against your skin.  All if would take was one of you to lean forward to taste the other.  You wanted to.  You never wanted something so desperately in your life, but you didn’t move.  It was up to him.

          The tension held thick in the air.

          His eyes shifted subtly to your lips.  Your eyes closed as he leaned forward.  But his lips never touched yours.

          His grip on your cheek tightened as if struggling to find some kind of balance. He was only a hair’s distance away from you, you could feel his warm breath against your lips.

          “I’m sorry,” he whispered.  “I can’t.”

          You couldn’t breathe.  You couldn’t move.  You were certain you heart stopped beating in your chest.

          You felt him pull away from you and a coldness you never knew before took over your body.  You didn’t know what to do.

          Finally, you opened your eyes.

          Devastation and a desperate need for you to understand stood strongly on his face.  

          You hated it.  How dare he look at you as if he wasn’t the one ripping out your heart.  How dare he think he was the one being hurt the most by his actions.  Hot tears spilled down your face as your throat grew tight.

            “You’re a coward,” you spat.

          He looked at you in complete an utter silence.  He couldn’t even defend himself. He turned his back to you, making his way towards the backroom.

          “I’ll call the sheriff on you,” you shouted after him.  “So help me God, I will.”

          He stopped in his tracks, but it wasn’t out of fear.  He glanced over his shoulder as a look of pity took over his features.

          “No, you won’t,” he said.

          You wanted to prove him wrong.  You wanted to scream at the top of your lungs.  You wanted to make him stay, but you knew you couldn’t.  You couldn’t watch him die, not for anything.

          Without another word, he walked out the door.

          The sounds of the night took over your world once more.  The emptiness of the room and the world felt more apparent to you then ever. The colors of fabric, the bright store signs and the warmth of the candles all tormented you as the burning need started pressing into your heart.  

          You ignored it.  You wouldn’t let it control you anymore.  You couldn’t let it.

          He was gone, and you would never see him again.

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally intended to be part of Mag 7 Week, but I wasn’t able to finish it in time. This turned out a lot more angsty than I originally intended, so tell me if you want a sequel with a happy ending. 
> 
> If you liked this check out my tumblr @https://shenanigans-and-imagines.tumblr.com
> 
> Leave a comment and kudos if you are so inclined.


End file.
